Autumn Twilight, Dwelling Among Mountains

This exhibition of works from the Permanent Collection of the Kemper Museum was inspired by the poem “Autumn Twilight, Dwelling Among Mountains” by the eighth-century Chinese poet Wang Wei.

The poem describes nature’s introduction of the twilight atmosphere— new rains, moonlight through the trees, wind through the bamboo leaves, and withering blossoms. Just as the words of Wei’s poem elicit images of a landscape, the selected works on view show the artists’ attention to light and composition.

Both poem and works in the exhibition depict nuances in the progression of time from day to night and explore the mood, transitional energy, and light conveyed in these twilight hours.

AUTUMN TWILIGHT,
DWELLING AMONG MOUNTAINS
In empty mountains after the new rains,
it’s late. Sky-ch’i has brought autumn—